When the year 9 student debaters of South Australia were given the topic for the third round of their debating competition a couple of months ago, people were piqued.

The topic, whether “the ‘tradwife’ movement is good for women”, was deemed offensive by some, and they conveyed their offence to organisers in an offensive manner. Meanwhile, Debating SA, the not-for-profit body running the comp, was offended by the social media abuse and nasty phone calls it received, according to a report in The Guardian.

Women belong in the kitchen. Discuss.Credit: Adobe Stock

People rang up “screaming, ranting, raving and carrying on”, accusing organisers of undoing centuries of female advancement.

“They were outside people who’ve got nothing to do with debating, who don’t know how it works,” a spokesperson for Debating SA told The Guardian. “Debating is very formal … and not only do we not tolerate incivility, it never happens. If you follow the rules and regulations, there’s no room for rudeness.”

Quite right, and an excellent formulation not just for a debating competition, but for a high-functioning civil society. One commentator noted that Australians had become “strangely fearful” of debating, particularly debates on divisive topics. And tradwifery is indeed a controversial topic. The social media-led movement refers to a lifestyle where women embrace traditional gender archetypes, and take on a homemaking role in their marriages.

There is an emphasis on home-cooking and old-fashioned feminine arts such as dressmaking and flower-pressing,........

© The Sydney Morning Herald